Releasable coupling with automatic return.



H. DECHAMPS.

RELEASABLE COUPLING WITH AUTOMATIC RETURN.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.30,1918.

1,105,408, Patented July 28, 19M

Inventor: Witnesses: Heinricp Deciyamps,

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5 Hisalttornqg.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HEINRICH DECHAMPS, 0F CIIARLOTTENBURG, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO GENERALELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

RELEASABLE COUPLING WITH AUTOMATIC RETURN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 30, 1913.

Patented July 28, 1914. Serial No. 745,155.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HEINRICH DEoHAMrs,

a subject of the King of Prussia, residing at For some classes of work,notably for in-.

ternal combustion engines, it is desirable to have a means fordisconnecting one shaft from another when the speed becomes too high andfor automatically i e-connecting said shafts when the speed is reducedagain to the proper value. Such an arrangement is useful between thedriving shaft and the shaft of a pump supplying fuel to the enginecylinders. The gump strokes usually have some definite re ation to theengine strokes and by providing the coupling parts with one or two jawsthe parts will reunite in a manner to establish the proper relation ofthe pump strokes to the engine strokes.

In the accompanying drawing which is illustrative of my invention,Figure 1 is a view in longitudinal section of my improved releasablecoupling showin the parts in engagement; Fig. 2 is a simi ar viewshowing the parts disengaged; Fig. 3 is a transverse section showing thearrangement of the weights; and Fig. 1 is a detailed view in plan of theup or coupling member.

5 indicates t e driving shaft and 6 the driven shaft. Keyed or otherwisesecured to the driving shaft is a member having a hub-like portion 7 anda flange 8 formed integral therewith. This member is caused to rotatewith the shaft by the key 9. On the upper face of the flange aresegmental projections 10, between which are formed slots 11 to receiveand guide the movement of the balls 12. These balls move outwardly inresponse to an increase in speed and inwardly in response to a decreasein speed. The hub 7 has a finished peripheral surface and mountedthereon in a manner to slide which is splined to the shaft 5, the key 9being extended to the end of the shaft for this purpose. The member 16is provided with two cars or lugs 17, Fig. 4, to receive the shoulderedbolts or rods 18. These bolts are attached at their upper ends to thehood 13, so that any movement of the hood is transmitted to the uppercoupling member. Surrounding the hub of said member and resting on anenlarged part thereof and engaging the flanged member 8 is a coiledcompression spring 19, which opposes the outward movements of the ballsand tends to restore them to the osition shown in Fig. l and also tomove t e upper coupling 21; as shown each member is provided with twojaws. The number of jaws may be varied to suit different conditions ofservice.

When the speed of the driving shaft is normal the parts will be in theposition shown in Fig. 1, but when for any reason the speed is increasedabove a certain predetermined value the balls roll outward in a radialdirection, toward the flange 8 and lift the hood, together with thecoupling member 16, thereby releasing the two shafts. When the speeddecreases the spring 19 forces the bolts downward and at'the same timemoves the upper jaw of the clutch or coupling into engagement with thelower aw.

Under some conditions shaft 5 may be the driven shaft and 6 the drivingshaft. I find it desirable to make the weights spherical but they may begiven other forms if desired. Instead of providing only one of thecoupling are separated when the speed init, both members may besimilarly provided, as will readily be understood. I have shown theparts so arranged that the parts of the coupling are separated when thespeed increases above certain predetermined values. I may, however, soarrange them that the parts of the coupling are separated when thedriving shaftis at rest or moving slowly, and are connected when thedriving shaft is moved at a greater speed. I have shown the hood and thecoupling member 16 as being made of separate parts and united by therods 18. As regards the sence of the invention it is immaterial whetherthese parts are separated or formed in one integral structure.

in accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, 1 havedescribed the principle of operation of my invention, together with theapparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof;but I desire to have it understood that the ap' .paratus shown is onlyillustrative, and that the invention can be carried out by other means.

W hat l'claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is,-

1.1n a device of the character described, the combination of driving anddriven shafts, a member fixed uponone of the shafts, weights carried bythe member and moving inresponse to centrifugal force, an element havinga beveled face with which the weights engage to move it axially, a,

spring opposing the action of the weights,

a coupling member splined'on one" of the shafts, means extendingparallel with the shaft to connect said element and member, and a secondcoupling member mounted on ghe other shaft and cooperating with the rst.

2'. In a device of the character described, the combination of drivingand driven shafts, a flanged member fixed to rotate with one of theshafts, weights that roll on said flange in response to speed changes, ahood having a beveled surface that engages the weights and is movedthereby, a coupling member splined on the same shaft that carries theflanged member, means connecting the hood and coupling member, a coiledspring interposed between the flanged and coupling members, and a secondcoupling member mounted on the other shaft and cotiperating with thefirst.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination of drivingand driven shafts, a flanged member fixed to rotate with one of theshafts, weights that roll on said flange in response to speed changes,guides for the weights, a hood that completely incloses the weights andhas a beveled surface with which the weights engage to move it,

a aw coupling splined on a shaft, rods connecting it with the hood, acoiled compression spring between the coupling and the flange memberwhich opposes the outward movement of the weights, and a second jawcoupling that is carried by the other shaft and engages the first.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of a drivingand a driven shaft, a flanged member fastened to the 1,10 a tos shaft,guides on one face of the fiange arranged to form slots, balls whichroll in the slots in response to speed changes, a member that cooperateswith and is moved axially by the balls, means opposing the movements ofthe-balls, and a coupling comprising a pair of cooperating elements oneof which rotates with one shaft while the other element rotates with theother shaft and means connecting one of said elements to said axiallymovable member for move ment therewith.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination of axiallyalined driving and driven shafts, a flange fixed to one of said shafts,weights that move on said flange in response ably mounted on the oneshaft adjacent to said flange having a conical surface for engagementwith the weights and adapted to be moved axially on the shaft thereby,means opposing the outward movement of the weights, a jaw couplingmember slidably mounted on the same shaft as the flange and hood, meansconnecting the coupling with the hood, and a cooperating coupling fixedto the other shaft.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination of drivingand driven shafts, a flanged member fixed to rotate with one of theshafts, weights that roll on said flange in response to speed changes,an eleto speed changes, a hood slid-" ment having a beveled face withwhich the weights engage to move it axially, a spring opposing theaction of the wei hts, a coupling member splined on one of the shafts,means connecting said element and member, and a second coupling membermounted on the other shaft and cooperating with the first.

7, in a device of the character described, the combination of drivingand driven shafts, a member fixed upon one of the shafts, weightscarried by the memberand moving in response to centrifugal force, anelement having a beveled face with which the weights engage to move itaxially, a spring opposing the action of the weights, a coupling membersplined on the same shaft that carries the fixed member, means extendingparallel with the shaft to connect said coupling and member, and asecond coupling member mounted on the other shaft and cooperating withthe first.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 17 day of January,1913.

HEINRICH DECHAMPS.

Witnesses: 4

BERNHARD KRAMER, ALFRED KijrPnRQ Patent No. 1,1055408.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,105,408, grantedJuly 28, 1914, upon the application of Heinrich Decl'mmps, ofCharlottenberg, Germany, for an improvement in Releasable Couplings withAutomatic Return, an error appears in the printed specificationrequiring correction as follows: Page 1, line 95, strike out the wordsare separated when the speed in and insert the words members with uimans-fin' nurvizzy, and that the Said Letters Patent should be readwith this e01- rection therein that the same may conform to the recordof the case in the Patent ()flice.

Signed and sealed this 1st day of September, A. D., 1914. I

' R. F. WHITEHEAD,

[SEAL] Acting Commissioner of Patents.

